Wednesday, May 11, 2016

Last week, reporter Paul Bedard of The Washington Examiner published a story documenting the federal government’s decision to release nearly 20,000 illegal aliens convicted of committing various crimes.

“The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency in 2015 decided not to deport but release 19,723 criminal illegal immigrants, including 208 convicted of murder, over 900 convicted of sex crimes and 12,307 of drunk driving,” Bedard noted.

Wait … what?

Surely this guy is pulling his information from some crackpot right-wing website, right? Nope … this is government data, analyzed by the Center for Immigration Studies.

According to the numbers, the released illegal aliens had a total of 64,197 convictions among them – including 8,234 convictions for violent crimes.

The U.S. Postal Service reported a fiscal second-quarter loss of $2 billion, primarily due to costs it said were out of its control.

When considering only its business operations, the post office said “controllable” earnings for the three months ending March 31 jumped 84% to $576 million from $313 million in the same period a year ago.

Revenue grew 4.7% to $17.7 billion, as 1.9% growth in standard mail, a 0.7% increase in first-class mail and an 11% jump in shipping and packages, offset a 5.6% decline in periodicals.

In comparison, United Parcel Service Inc. UPS, +0.93% reported revenue growth for the quarter ended March 31 of 3.2%, while FedEx Corp. FDX, +0.59% said revenue for the quarter ended Feb. 29 increased 8%.

WHAT: The Delaware State Police announces a pilot program with Nextdoor.com. This is a free, private and secure social network for neighborhoods. The program will enable the Delaware State Police to enhance communication between law enforcement and the neighborhoods they serve.

Planning the perfect Memorial Day party can be fun, but it can also be stressful to come up with just the right ingredients. Chef Blakely Trettenero, the founder of www.cookingforbimbos.com, says there are plenty of ways to make that party pop.

“Grilling outside with family, friends, cocktails and fun is an ideal way to kickoff summer,” she says.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Memorial Day is the third-largest grilling occasion of the year, behind July 4 and birthdays. Plus, it’s affordable, with the price of a 12-person cookout in 2015 rising just 2 percent over the previous year.

“Make a party out of it,” Trettenero says. “Go ahead and decorate, and consider catering to everyone who will attend: kids, drinkers, vegetarians. And, don’t forget water bowls and treats for those with dogs.”

Most important of all are the food and libations. Trettenero offers some recipes for getting the party started.

• Homemade BBQ Sauce: Whether it’s steak, burgers, chicken or veggie patties, you can’t go wrong with fresh BBQ sauce. It’s easy to make your own sauce and it’s fun to tinker with different ingredients to see exactly what you and your family like. You won’t go wrong by combining the following ingredients:

• Wing it in the oven: While grilling hot dogs and burgers, consider using the oven to cook wings in a tinfoil-lined tray for a mucheasier time than frying them. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and cook the wings for 30 minutes (you can make BBQ sauce during this time). Next, brush the wings liberally with the sauce and kick the oven temperature up to 400 degrees. Cook the wings an additional 10 minutes.

When a bright, happy preteen evolves into a self-absorbed or anxious teenager, apprehensive parents can’t help but wonder, “What’s wrong with my child?”

The answer could be “nothing,” other than the typical struggles adolescents have always faced, says Jeffrey Leiken, author of “Adolescence is Not a Disease: Beyond Drinking, Drugs and Dangerous Friends – The Journey to Adulthood” (www.Leiken.com).

As CEO of Evolution Mentoring International, Leiken provides mentoring for teens and young adults, going beyond the typical work of a therapist by building a relationship so that they come to see Leiken as a trusted confidant who answers their late-night text messages and isn’t quick to label them.

“I don’t start with the premise that there is something wrong with them that needs to be fixed,” Leiken says. “The teens and young adults I work with often are saner than the system they are in – a system that seems to forget we are raising humans, not building robots.”

Parents sometimes get caught up in that system, too, but in many cases they just need to chill, he says.

Leiken says parents who want to prepare teenagers for the day they will venture out on their own should:

• “Great advice, wrong source” – Enlist the aid of other adults. Parents are puzzled when they give excellent advice that their teenager promptly ignores. But adolescents often discard words of wisdom from their parents that they would embrace if the guidance came from someone else. That’s why it’s important to enlist the help of other adults who can offer coaching, training and guidance to the teen.• Avoid letting fear be the guide. Too many parents are on edge, worried that if their teen isn’t in the top 1 percent of the high school class, they will be denied hope for economic prosperity, status and independence. Their anxieties can rub off on young people who become hesitant to take risks for fear of endangering their future. Instead of scaring them, parents need to encourage teens to step outside their comfort zones and take risks that will help them grow into confident, well-rounded adults. • Help teens eliminate choices. One popular bit of advice parents hear is they should encourage teenagers to keep all their options open. That sounds like a good strategy, but isn’t. In reality, parents need to encourage teens to eliminate options – such as for colleges or careers – that aren’t and never will be right for them. The teens’ decision-making abilities will increase as a result.

“Parents also need to realize they don’t have to become experts in raising teenagers,” Leiken says. “They just have to become expert in raising their own teenager.”

Israel's Remembrance Day events opened Tuesday evening in Jerusalem, with the annual ceremony for fallen IDF soldiers in Jerusalem's Yad L'Banim center.

Speaking at the ceremony, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu cited his own personal loss: his brother Yoni was famously killed during the daring raid to free Jewish hostages in Entebbe, Uganda, in 1976.

"As the son of a bereaved family, I like you carry the burden of grief, falling into the abyss of sadness," he told the audience of bereaved family members. "When I received the news about my brother, and after that when I relayed it to my parents, my entire world collapsed on me. The same thing happened to you."

Paying tribute to the 23,447 soldiers who have died defending the State of Israel, Netanyahu said each and every citizen of Israel shared in their sense of loss and stood in honor of them on Yom Hazikaron (Memorial Day).

Congressional leaders lashed out at the White House this week for what they describe as a series of intentional lies about the nature and intent of last summer’s comprehensive nuclear agreement with Iran, according to statements provided to the Washington Free Beacon calling on one senior Obama administration adviser to resign over the growing scandal.

The statements come following yet another Iranian ballistic missile test and a New York Times article quoting two senior Obama administration officials saying they misled the press and U.S. officials about the agreement.

The statements, made primarily by senior Obama administration adviser Ben Rhodes, have angered some on Capitol Hill who accuse the White House of using deceptive methods to garner support for the nuclear deal.

“Rhodes should resign for willfully and ‘actively misleading’ lawmakers and the American people,” Sen. Mark Kirk (R., Ill.), a critic of diplomacy with Iran, told the Free Beacon Tuesday in a statement.

A Memorial Day event centered on the heroism of Israel’s bereaved families was held on Tuesday evening at the Sultan’s Pool in Jerusalem.

Renana Meir, daughter of Dafna Meir who was murdered by a 15-year-old Palestinian terrorist last January at the entrance to her home in Otniel, while three of her children were at home, spoke at the ceremony and discussed her mother’s courage.

Dafna was able to fight back against the terrorist and, in doing so, saved her children’s lives.

"I have come tonight to speak on behalf of the bereaved families, on behalf of the families who lost loved ones, the light in their lives. I came in the name of the people who are struggling to get up every morning, who are fighting to fill their day with points of light," said Renana Meir at Tuesday’s event.

"Those families for whom darkness took control of their lives, who get up with a black cloud in the morning, go with it to work and go to sleep with it at night. There is no way to describe the pain that fills every minute of every day, the heartbreaking loss which does not let up for even a moment," she continued.

A leading left-wing community organizing group is building a massive grassroots advocacy and voter turnout operation in battleground states that could decide November’s presidential and Senate elections, documents obtained by the Washington Free Beacon reveal.

The Center for Popular Democracy is working to raise more than $7 million to support local and state-level organizing work that it hopes will translate issue-oriented advocacy into political power in November.

Documents detailing those efforts shed new light on how the left’s organizing apparatus is collaborating with prominent progressive groups such as MoveOn.org, labor unions, and foundations to build a campaign apparatus that can win short-term policy victories and translate those victories into a lasting political operation.

The nonprofit Center for Popular Democracy and its 501(c)(4) dark money arm, the Center for Popular Democracy Action, work with 42 partner organizations—including labor unions, community organizing groups, and other left-wing nonprofits—in 30 states to advance its goals.

The group’s $14 million budget supports a staff of more than 60 employees. In 2015, it sub-granted more than $7 million to its partner organizations. Those partners boast more than 400,000 members, 800 state-based staffers, and combined budgets of roughly $85 million.

That organizing power is diffused throughout the states, but a document obtained by the Free Beacon reveals that efforts have been underway since December to centralize decision-making in committees that represent both CPD and its local and state partners.

In the latest battle over chip-enabled plastic, Wal-Mart Stores Inc. sued Visa Inc. for the right to choose how customers verify debit-card purchases at the checkout counter.

The retail giant wants customers to verify their purchases with a personal identification number when they use a chip-enabled debit card. In the lawsuit, filed in New York state court Tuesday, Wal-Mart said Visa has prohibited it from requiring PINs only, forcing the retailer to allow customers to use a signature in those transactions.

The lawsuit is the latest salvo between the two companies, which have sued each other multiple times over assorted payments issues. It also could stoke the continuing debate about how to balance security and convenience with the new generation of chip-enabled cards.

Shoppers and merchants alike are in a period of transition at the checkout line as they adjust to the new, more secure chip cards that banks are sending to their customers.

MIAMI (CBSMiami) — Millions of people have it and most of them don’t even know it. We’re talking about what’s commonly called ‘Eye Mites.’

CBS4’s Ted Scouten was diagnosed with what a doctor says is Demodex Mites, also known as eye mites along the base and the lid of Ted’s eyelashes.

“I had never heard of eye mites so when he said eye mites it was just really gross, so yeah I freaked out a little bit, but then when he explained that there are a lot of people who have these, and a lot of people who own pets get them.”

So what are eye mites?

The mites, which are spread by pets and people, spend most of their time buried in our hair follicles. They love bodily real-estate that is flooded with oils, which explains why they love our faces – to crawl, eat & reproduce!

April 11th was the last day of the 436th Legislative Session of Maryland. This session 2,817 bills were introduced. Of those, 834 passed the General Assembly with most of those being local in nature. They now await Governor Hogan’s decision to determine their fate. From our perspective, we had a very productive session. We stopped bills that would have harmed our economy, passed bills that will help, and we will also receive funding for important projects here on the Lower Shore.

My takeaway from the 436th Maryland Legislative Session is that as a state we are beginning to turn things around. We aren’t passing tax increases or onerous regulations on our businesses. We are working together, across the aisle, to pass laws that will make a positive impact on our quality of life. I am excited about the progress we made this session and looking forward to building on our successes in the coming years.

I appreciate that you have taken the time to read our end of session wrap up. We will continue to advocate for the Eastern Shore, poultry farmers, and our Eastern Shore way of life. Together we’re making it happen!

Babies who are swaddled and placed on their stomachs or sides may have an increased risk of dying from sudden infant death syndrome, according to an analysis of four studies.

Researchers found that babies who were swaddled, or wrapped tightly in a blanket or cloth, were twice as likely to die from SIDS, if they were laid on their stomachs or sides, according to the report, published in the journal Pediatrics. The likelihood of SIDS was low for those placed on their backs.

While the study in no ways says parents should stop swaddling all together, it did find that swaddling could be dangerous for older children who can move from their backs into a dangerous position while sleeping, Anna Pease, lead study author and research associate at the University of Bristol in England, said in a statement.

BERLIN — Berlin Main Street will be holding an art raffle and Burley Oak Brewery will have several fundraisers of cup and shirt sales to benefit the first Berlin Fireworks display on July 3.

Kate Cashman has donated one of her paintings, valued at $300. Each raffle ticket will be sold for $5 with only 500 raffle tickets available for sale. This gives everyone a one in 500 chance to win. Contact Kate Cashman at 443-880-3050 for tickets.

Burley Oak Brewery will sell its “American Pint Glass” shirts with all of the proceeds from the shirt sales going directly to the Berlin Fireworks Fund. Shirts may be purchased at most downtown events and at the brewery. Additionally, souvenir cups will be sold at the events with the proceeds from the cups going directly to the fireworks. Burley Oak hopes to raise at least $5,000 to help support the cost of the fireworks. For more information, call Nicky Chavez at 443-513-4647

OCEAN CITY — With the help of a major federal grant, all of the municipal buses in Ocean City’s fleet could be outfitted with surveillance cameras inside and out.

At Tuesday’s Transportation Committee meeting, Public Works Director Hal Adkins told members the Maryland Transit Authority (MTA) was considering including a $500,000 investment in a state-of-the-art video and audio surveillance camera system on all of the buses and vehicles in Ocean City’s fleet as part of the agency’s fiscal year 2017 allocation to the resort. Adkins said the offer “came out of left field” and the discussions were only cursory at this time, but the MTA was encouraging Ocean City to accept the offer.

The MTA is recommending Ocean City move forward with implementing a transit surveillance system aboard its entire fleet, which currently includes 65 vehicles including ADA vans. The MTA is recommending as many as five or six cameras inside and out for the standard 40-foot buses and eight or nine cameras for the each of the two new articulating buses. Given the total number of vehicles in the resort’s current fleet, the total number of cameras would be around 400.

BALTIMORE —The field at M&T Bank Stadium is getting a new look for the 2016 season.

For the first time in more than a decade, the Baltimore Ravens will play on real grass instead of artificial turf. The last time the Ravens had real turf at M&T Bank Stadium was for the 2001-02 season.

Thanks to player requests, the Ravens grounds crew began the huge task of ripping up the artificial turf in February. The turf had been there for more than 14 years.

Head groundskeeper Don Follett is overseeing the installation of 80,000 square feet of sod, which as crews carefully placed on a bed of sand on Tuesday.

"Their perception of the real grass is they like it better, and that's really where the push came from, from our players," Follett said.

In just a few weeks, Operation We Care will be packing and sending hundreds of care packages to deployed troops, and we need YOUR help to make it happen! Below is a list of our top 10 needed items.Have a question or need help getting a donation to us? Shoot us a message and we will be happy to assist!1. Baby Wipes2. Shampoo/Body Wash3. 15 oz cans of Chef Boyardee4. Hot chocolate packets5. Dental floss6. Deodorant 7. Disposable razors8. Instant oatmeal packets9. Powdered drink mix packets10. Toothpaste

BERLIN – Plans to rezone the former Pine Shore Golf facility on Beauchamp Road will move forward after the proposal earned the support of the Worcester County Planning Commission last week.

The planning commission voted to pass a request to rezone the property residential on to the Worcester County Commissioners with a favorable recommendation. Stephen Nichols told the commission his family purchased the foreclosed property in 2014.

“Our intention was to take a depressed property and develop it in a reasonable manner,” Nichols read from a statement submitted by Charles Nichols.

Mark Cropper, the family’s attorney, said the property should be rezoned from its current E-1 estate zoning to R-1 residential because the existing classification was a mistake and because the neighborhood had changed since the zoning was assigned.

“We’re going to be looking at a lot of different things” is the way many stories related to Donald Trump start. Inevitably, the presumptive GOP nominee’s constant refusal to directly answer questions from reporters has led to trouble for Trump.

1. Trump Is A Racist

“Donald Trump Refuses to Condemn KKK, Disavow David Duke Endorsement,” is the headline from Time on February 28. The lede of the story is “Donald Trump on Sunday refused to condemn the Ku Klux Klan or disavow his recent endorsement by former Klansman David Duke.”

The story is based off a February interview with CNN’s Jake Tapper who asked Trump, “Will you unequivocally condemn David Duke and say you don’t want his vote or the vote of other white supremacists this election?”

“Well, just so you understand, I don’t know anything about David Duke, OK? I don’t know anything about what you’re even talking about with white supremacy or white supremacists,” Trump replied.

Huge news story right? The problem is that two days prior to the interview, Trump said, “I didn’t even know he endorsed me. David Duke he endorsed me, OK? I disavow. OK?”

Hillary Clinton said on March 1, “I was very disappointed that he did not disavow what appears to be support from David Duke and from the Ku Klux Klan.”

Minimum wage policies may have played a role in the significant jump in unemployment and imprisonment among young men, according to a new report.

The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office found that 6 million young men are jobless or behind bars, about 16 percent of all males aged 18 to 34. That represents a nearly 50 percent increase from 1980, when 11 percent of men were jobless or in the prison system. These rates are higher for less educated men: 20 percent of young men with high school diplomas lack work or freedom.

“Young men with less education were more likely than those with more to be jobless or incarcerated. For example, in 2014, about 1 in 5 young men with only a high school education was jobless or incarcerated,” the report says.

Andy Slavitt, the acting administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, gave false testimony to Congress on the state-based exchanges established under Obamacare, according to a report by the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.

Slavitt was questioned about the status of taxpayer dollars invested in state-based exchanges at a hearing on December 8, 2015, according to the committee report. The hearing was held to determine how state-based exchanges spent grant money.

“When asked under oath about the status of American taxpayer dollars invested in the exchanges, Acting Administrator Andy Slavitt testified before the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations in December 2015 that [the state-based exchanges] returned over $200 million in grant dollars to the federal government,” the report states. “But information and documents CMS recently provided to the committee fail to corroborate Mr. Slavitt’s testimony and raise significant questions regarding the truthfulness of his statements.”

The committee requested documents from the agency to corroborate Slavitt’s claim but found that the agency only had recovered $21.5 million in federal grant dollars from the exchanges. Slavitt overstated the amount returned to the Treasury by nearly $180 million.

“Mr. Slavitt’s testimony misled the committee in two ways: he misstated the amount of grant money returned to the Treasury, and he wrongfully implied that the funds were returned because of improper spending and CMS’ oversight efforts,” the committee wrote.

The Citadel will not allow an incoming female Muslim student to wear a hijab with the college's military uniform.

Citadel President John Rosa said the decision was "essential" to the college's teachings.

"Uniformity is the cornerstone of this four-year leader development model. The standardization of cadets in apparel, overall appearance, actions and privileges is essential to the learning goals and objectives of the college," Rosa, a retired lieutenant general, said in a statement Tuesday.

The public military college in Charleston, South Carolina, has never made an exception to its uniform in its storied history. The Citadel is known for its strict, button-up uniforms that its cadets are mandated to wear nearly all of the time. The school has a 35-page booklet of rules and regulations.

A convoy of Hezbollah terrorists and weapons was hit in an apparent Israeli airstrike in Lebanon, according to Arab media reports.

The convoy was reportedly traveling through the village of Anjar, close to Lebanon's border with Syria, when it was hit.

Anjar is located in the Bekaa Valley region, a Hezbollah stronghold in Lebanon.

Israel's Channel Two cited Syrian opposition websites as reporting that "the Israeli air force carried out a number of strikes against Hezbollah positions close to the Syria-Lebanon border. According to reports from the field the air strike was carried out as a Hezbollah convoy departed from the area, apparently (further) into Lebanon."

There have not yet been any reports of casualties, or any confirmation from either Israeli or Lebanese officials.More details here

Is the American Red Cross a total fraud? The charity was once famously called out by Fox News Bill O'Reilly for only planning to donate 25 percent of the proceeds of their "Liberty Fund" to the families of those killed on 9-11.

In late 2011, the Red Cross launched a multimillion-dollar project to transform the desperately poor area, which was hit hard by the earthquake that struck Haiti the year before. The main focus of the project — called LAMIKA, an acronym in Creole for “A Better Life in My Neighborhood” — was building hundreds of permanent homes.

Today, not one home has been built in Campeche. Many residents live in shacks made of rusty sheet metal, without access to drinkable water, electricity or basic sanitation. When it rains, their homes flood and residents bail out mud and water.

The Red Cross received an outpouring of donations after the quake, nearly half a billion dollars.

The group has publicly celebrated its work. But in fact, the Red Cross has repeatedly failed on the ground in Haiti. Confidential memos, emails from worried top officers, and accounts of a dozen frustrated and disappointed insiders show the charity has broken promises, squandered donations, and made dubious claims of success.

The Red Cross says it has provided homes to more than 130,000 people. But the actual number of permanent homes the group has built in all of Haiti: six.

Federal prosecutors will not seek the death penalty in the case against Abu Khatallah, the man charged in the 2012 attacks on the American consulate in Benghazi, Libya, according to court documents filed Tuesday.

Khatallah was captured in 2014 and brought to the United States for trial in federal court in Washington, D.C.

Justice Department spokeswoman Emily Pierce said Attorney General Loretta Lynch made the decision.

"The department is committed to ensuring that the defendant is held accountable for his alleged role," Pierce said. "If convicted, he faces a sentence of up to life in prison."

Two days after Donald Trump made his first campaign visit to Washington state, a group of University of Washington students erected a “Trump wall” on UW’s Red Square on Monday to show their support for the presumptive Republican presidential nominee.

About 10 Trump supporters, most of whom appeared to be UW students, erected the plywood wall at about 1 p.m. It was painted to resemble a brick wall, with the words “Trump Wall” painted over the bricks.

The crowd grew to more than 100 people, most of whom oppose Trump’s candidacy. Anti-Trump protesters waved signs saying “Stop Trump now” and “Immigrant lives matter,” and unveiled a long black banner that read: “Zero tolerance for walls or hate.” A man carrying a life-size cutout photo of Democratic candidate Bernie Sanders wordlessly set it in front of the wall.

Most of the students who passed by seemed amused or mildly curious, but a few got into heated arguments with Trump supporters, closing tightly in a circle around them as the event played out.

It is a shame. A few years ago they really had the Red Kettle campaign rocking and rolling. Joe helped promote that and get it going. It was the "in" thing to do. Why did they let that slide?

Publishers Notes: This is what I call the snowball effect.

For those of you who are new to SBYNews, I had learned that the Salvation Army was actually PAYING the bell ringers. When I had mentioned this to friends and contributors to Salisbury News we immediately went into action and started reaching out to our viewers for volunteers. The response was so incredible that the Salvation Army immediately stopped paying bell ringers and were able to retain all of the donations to help even more people.

One day I got a call, (after helping the SA for two years) from the Major at the SA who asked me to come into a meeting. It turns out Jonathan Taylor, (EBT Blogger) and his friends contacted the WalMart Corporation stating they had just witnessed me talking to an interracial couple saying I called him a "N-World loving whore" in front of Sam's Club. It was a complete lie/fabrication but they were so proud that they got me thrown out of that location.

I had stated back then that all they were doing was harming the Salvation Army, period. They laughed, made jokes about it and bragged how they had lied and got away with it.

The "snowball effect" is coming home to roost. Last year the SA was back to paying bell ringers because we had nothing to do with bringing in volunteers. Now, (I just heard) the EBT Blogger is reaching out to viewers to HELP the very organization he successfully set out to destroy.

Aside from all that, I have a suggestion to the SA and County Executive. BEFORE anyone does anything financially, I believe the SA should restructure their programs in a very simple way.

Because their programs are offered at such a reduced rate, each parent of EVERY child participating in such activities should agree to volunteer for two hours as bell ringers. Each recipient of their Christmas Gift Program should also volunteer two hours of their time ringing the bell as well.

IF the SA is shy $100,000.00 each year to keep this facility afloat, I believe the newly revised program for bell ringing will help, (at least) save the SA a good $100,000.00, (or close to it) in expenses to pay bell ringers and that savings can go towards saving the rec center on the west side.

Folks, there are times you have to think out of the box. I grow tired of people simply giving up and putting their hands out. We proved the bell ringing through 100% volunteers can work. The SA never came back to us for help, therefore their numbers not only went down, their profits plummeted. Mind you, there are many incredible people who do great things for that organization but how many of them came up with this idea to help save their program WITHOUT asking the already strapped City/County taxpayers to foot the bill.

Anyhow, shame on Jonathan Taylor and his people for destroying a great community program that hadn't had such financial issues in the past. He is a cancer to this community and has some nerve coming off like he's a nice guy for asking the community to salvage what he himself destroyed.

BALTIMORE -- Maryland's attorney general sued several finance companies Tuesday, accusing them of tricking victims of lead paint poisoning into signing over the bulk of their settlements in exchange for a one-time cash payment. Some have been left penniless.

For Attorney General Brian Frosh, the conclusion -- after a seven-month investigation -- is clear.

"This set of circumstances makes my blood boil," Frosh told CBS News. "It looks to me like sophisticated and very aggressive folks targeting the most vulnerable people in our society -- people who are poor, people who are cognitively impaired and people who are young and unsophisticated."

Frosh is now suing Access Funding and related entities, alleging they duped at least 74 victims of lead paint poisoning in Baltimore -- people like Crystal Linton, who suffered lead poisoning as a child and was left "functionally illiterate."

To safeguard her future, she received a $630,000 structured settlement, guaranteeing monthly checks for the next 40 years.

But after getting fliers from companies promising quick cash, Linton sold her future payment stream, then valued at $408,00, for just $66,000, some of it to Access Funding.

There is work to be done in this election for all those who care about the future of America.

Hillary Clinton is going to be the Democratic nominee for president. If she is elected, she will continue the same disastrous policies that have already done so much harm to the U.S. economy.

She will appoint radical leftists to the Supreme Court who will cripple the Bill of Rights, take away the powers of state governments, and strip Congress of even more power.

She will continue the pay-for-play system, whereby the U.S. government is more responsive to heavy campaign donors than it is to the people.

She will ram through trade deals that will give away U.S. sovereignty and jobs, and get nothing of value in return.

She will fight against the very idea that being an American citizen has some sort of legal significance, or that American citizens should be given privileges that aren’t shared with every other person on earth.

She will use the government to threaten her opponents, intimidate the press, and tilt future elections in her favor.

At the same time, she will cower before our enemies abroad — and thus, she will encourage them to continue to treat America with utter disdain and disregard.

She will worsen the crisis of confidence and credibility plaguing our entire system.

President Barack Obama told Howard University graduates this weekend their hard work really meant nothing compared to luck – and he admitted he never wanted a post-racial, post-partisan society, conservative talk radio host Rush Limbaugh told his audience on Monday's show

Limbaugh played clips of Obama's commencement speech in which he told grads to "Be confident in your blackness," but to also be aware of "injustice and unfairness and struggle" by their forbears.

"We have cousins and uncles and brothers and sisters who we remember were just as smart and just as talented as we were, but somehow got ground down by structures that are unfair and unjust," Obama said. "Because yes, you've worked hard, but you've also been lucky.."More

Delaware State University and TheDream.US jointly announced a historic partnership that will implement a unique scholarship program for immigrant high school graduates who face barriers in some states in attending college.

TheDream.US Opportunity Scholarship is the nation’s largest scholarship program for DREAMers – immigrant youth who came to the U.S. without documentation. In most cases, the individuals came to the U.S. with their undocumented parents.

The organization has partnered with Delaware Gov. Jack Markell and Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy and their respective state universities – DSU and Eastern Connecticut State University – to provide scholarship recipients with admissions to institutions of higher education where they can enroll.

The co-founder of TheDream.US is Donald E. Graham, chairman of Graham Holding Company and former CEO and chairman of the Washington Post.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) approved Proposal 14 of the Olympic Agenda 2020 to include non-discrimination with regard to sexual orientation in Principle 6 at a vote in Monaco today (8 December).

It says: 'Any form of discrimination with regard to a country or a person on grounds of race, religion, politics, gender or otherwise is incompatible with belonging to the Olympic Movement.'

'Today is a great step forward for the Olympics, and particularly for the athletes, spectators, and residents of host countries who identify as gay, lesbian, or bisexual,' said Human Rights First’s Shawn Gaylord.

'Our hope is that potential host countries, like Kazakhstan and China, will understand that protecting the rights of sexual minorities is no longer something they can dodge.

Over the weekend, New York Times columnist Nick Kristof devoted his attention to “a liberal blind spot” in higher education: While colleges seek to fill their lecture halls with professors across the spectrum of race and gender, the self-avowed liberal noticed the ivory tower discriminates against conservative Christians. “Universities are the bedrock of progressive values,” Kristof wrote, “but the one kind of diversity that universities disregard is ideological and religious. We’re fine with people who don’t look like us, as long as they think like us.”

The numbers are staggering. In the studies of social sciences, about 7-9% of American professors say they are Republican but 18% say they are Marxist, wrote Kristof. In other words, you have a better chance learning under someone who follows the political philosophy responsible for the deaths of hundreds of millions of people than one of the two primary political parties in America today. Often, conservative professors try to hide their beliefs — at least until they can make tenure.

Of course, this means conservative and Christian ideas are marginalized in the place where people go to supposedly experience a cornucopia of thought.More here

Republican Rep. Trey Gowdy of South Carolina is intently focused on gathering all necessary information to conclusively record the history of the Sept. 11, 2012, attack in Benghazi. That includes taking on the Obama Defense Department when it's stonewalling. Defense Secretary Ash Carter essentially accused the House Benghazi committee of wasting taxpayer money by requesting dozens of interviews. Carter's complaint sounds suspiciously like the organized talking points of congressional Democrats, however, and Gowdy was having none of it. In a letter, Gowdy responded by citing DoD's quick turnaround on another investigation:

"By contrast, the Department was able to complete the recently released review of the bombing of a civilian medical facility in Kunduz, Afghanistan within two months. That review "interviewed more than 65 witnesses, including personnel at the Trauma Center, members of U.S. and Afghan ground forces, members of the aircrew, and representatives at every echelon of command in Afghanistan..."More here

Indiana is one of the few states in America where the governor can choose justices for its highest court only from candidates approved by a judicial-selection commission, created by the Indiana Constitution. Nationwide, these “merit selection” commissions tend to be dominated by trial lawyers, who are often liberal. As a consequence, it is difficult for reliable conservatives to make it on the list of options for a governor to appoint, which has at times frustrated conservatives in Indiana.

Yet Slaughter made it through the gauntlet, and he could be the most conservative Indiana Supreme Court justice in decades.

Indiana has been in the national spotlight in recent years on various issues, from voter-ID laws to religious liberty to Second Amendment rights. The Indiana Supreme Court has what conservatives regard as a mixed record on these issues.

In his press conference announcing Justice Slaughter, Governor Pence said it was “momentous and humbling” to appoint a person to his state’s supreme court, praising Slaughter’s principles, character, and “unparalleled understanding of the Constitution.”

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Maryland’s ban on assault weapons and large-capacity gun magazines is back before a federal appeals court.

A three-judge panel of the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond raised concerns about the constitutionality of the restrictions in February. The panel sent a lawsuit challenging those provisions back to a judge who upheld them and ordered her to take another look using a more rigorous legal standard.

The state appealed that 2-1 decision to the full 15-member appeals court, which will hear arguments Wednesday.

As Trump celebrated his win in Tuesday's Indiana primary, campaign manager Corey Lewandowski said their team is putting together a fundraising plan for a general election campaign against probable Democrat nominee Hillary Clinton, as well as downballot races for Congress. "Donald Trump is going to raise money for the Republican National Committee," Lewandowski said.

His allies also are gearing up to raise unlimited sums on his behalf.

For instance, Ed Rollins, a veteran Republican operative who oversaw Ronald Reagan’s 1984 reelection campaign, recently signed on as lead strategist for Great America PAC, a pro-Trump super PAC. Eric Beach, the super PAC’s co-chairman and a veteran of Rudy Giuliani and Newt Gingrich’s presidential campaigns, said the committee plans “to be the weapon of choice for the nominee in the general election” and soon will announce a “finance advisory team that will be second to none.”

Trump, who disavowed super PACs during the primary, appears to be softening his stance. “I know that people maybe like me and they form a super PAC, but I have nothing to do with it,” Trump said Wednesday night on NBC Nightly News. “As you know, I'm not allowed to have anything to do with it. So we'll see what happens.”

Did Donald Trump make Megyn Kelly cry? It sure sounds like it. Via the Daily Beast:

Now that Megyn Kelly has agreed to a cease-fire with Donald Trump—who is appearing on the May 17 debut of her Fox Television network series, Megyn Kelly Presents—she is admitting to have been a little rattled by the presumptive Republican presidential nominee’s relentless attacks on her.

“I’m a normal person,” the Fox News star told Kelly Ripa and Michael Strahan on Monday’s edition of Live! with Kelly and Michael—dismissing Ripa’s assertion that she’s unflappable and fearless. “I don’t think it’s true of anybody. I cry. I have fear. Of course it’s been a difficult year. Thank God I have him [her husband, novelist Douglas Brunt] and I have my three loveys [their three young children] who ground me and get me through everything in life.”

Kelly, who said she takes her cue on pushing through fear and adopting the Nike slogan “Just do it” from Navy Seals she’s spoken with, added: “I tell the gals on my team, ‘Keep your head down, shoulders back, forge ahead,” and push through the moment…Next time, it’s easier.”

Extremely rapid growth for a business might sound good, but it can be a mixed blessing.

Certainly, high growth yields greater returns, offering shareholders five times more than medium-growth companies, says Debora McLaughlin, CEO of The Renegade Leader Coaching and Consulting Group(www.TheRenegadeLeader.com).

Growth predicts long-term success, she says, and it matters more than margin or cost structure.

But sustaining growth is extremely difficult.

For example, a business may have tremendously high growth in the start-up phase, as did the daily-deals pioneer Groupon, which had a stellar valuation of $6.4 billion in 2010.

“By 2012, Groupon had lost a mind-boggling 80 percent of its stock value since its initial public offering,” McLaughlin says. “What happened? The tech company never figured out customer retention.”

While Groupon is a prominent example, it’s certainly not the only one. Approximately 85 percent of super-growers, defined by McKinsey as companies whose growth is greater than 60 percent, are unable to maintain their growth rates, and once lost, less than a quarter were able to recapture them.

• Define your Culture. You can’t afford not to invest the time to define the culture needed to support your strategic plan. What is the purpose of your company, its guiding values, and its top priorities? Defining the culture allows you to align senior leaders, stakeholders and investors, make faster decisions, attract top talent and engage employees.• Do your best to retain the right people. Often, the problem faced by fast-growing companies is that they need to hire people fast so they fill positions based on talent versus fit and attitude. Hire people who align with your culture and its values. Have the right mix of visionaries with executers.• Maintain the quality of your product. Whatever it may be – an online service or your town’s best muffins – exponential growth can have you running in 100 different directions. Don’t forget what got you to this point: quality. Continue to wow the customers who trusted in you at the beginning.• Make sure you have the money you think you have. It’s easy to confuse growth of accounts receivable for tangible, cash-based growth. If your company isn’t collecting the cash it’s due, there’s a risk of running into a cash crisis during growth. There’s nothing more valuable for an expanding business than cash.

“You want to manage your growth in a smart way,” McLaughlin says. “You want growth that easily translates to profit, which means collecting data, doing the research and challenging your business instincts. Don’t be so focused on your product or service that you fail to notice the shifting sands of your consumer demands.”

Salisbury, MD – A Plexus Opportunity & Wellness Event will be held at the Wicomico Youth & Civic Center on Monday, May 16.

The event, hosted by Gold Ambassador Laura Shores and presented by Sapphire Ambassador Debra McCutcheon, is being held for people to learn more about Plexus weight loss and health products. It starts at 6:30 p.m.

People can sample the "Pink Drink" and also learn about business opportunities. There will also be a raffle and door prizes.

Wicomico Public Libraries is pleased to announce Susan M. Bounds, Board Trustee and Chair of the Friends of Wicomico Public Libraries has been awarded the Maryland Library Association (MLA) 2016 Outstanding Volunteer Award. The award was presented to Ms. Bounds at the annual MLA Conference held on Friday, May 6th. The purpose of the MLA Volunteer Award is to honor a library volunteer in Maryland who exemplifies the positive impact that volunteers can make in libraries through their outstanding service.

Ms. Bounds graduated from Salisbury University with a B.S. degree in elementary education and a M.Ed. degree in reading and special education K - 12. She was appointed by Maryland State Department of Education Superintendents, Dr. Nancy Grasmick and Dr. Lillian Lowery, to serve several terms as Chair of the Maryland State Advisory Council on Gifted and Talented Education. Ms. Bounds was the Director of several local Maryland Summer Centers for Gifted and Talented Students. For more than 10 years, she developed and ran environmental education and historical research programs in Wicomico and Dorchester Counties. Ms. Bounds retired in 2009 after teaching 35 years for the Wicomico County Public School System. She continues to serve as Wicomico County Coordinator of Destination Imagination and Regional Director for Maryland Eastern Region DI.

Ms. Bounds believes strongly in the benefits that a strong and active library brings to the community. She is committed to promoting educational opportunities, modern community Library space and programs that strengthen the lives of Wicomico County’s diverse population. She joined the Wicomico Public Libraries Board of Trustees in 2009 and formed the current Friends of the Library organization. As the Chair of Friends of Wicomico Public Libraries, she encourages advocacy and support for the Library through fundraising, programs and events. Through her countless volunteer hours Ms. Bounds exemplifies an “Outstanding Volunteer” and continues to make a positive impact on Wicomico Public Libraries’ development, services and resources.